Shohei Ohtani Is The 2018 AL MVP Favorite, MLB's Newest Superstar

The first week and a half of the 2018 MLB season has seen Bryce Harper post an OPS better than 1.500, Giancarlo Stanton strike out at a historic rate while getting booed at Yankee Stadium, as well as the New York Mets leading the league with an 8-1 record. But thanks to the Los Angeles Angels’ star rookie, none of those have been the biggest story of the young baseball season.

That distinction belongs to Shohei Ohtani. In his first major-league season, the 23-year-old is off to a once-in-a-lifetime start, proving why he was the most sought-after free agent of the offseason.

He’s the modern-day Babe Ruth, or at least that’s what he’s been 11 games into his career. Trying to become the first successful two-way player in nearly a century, Ohtani has excelled as both a starting pitcher and hitter.

Ohtani has won both of his starts, going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA. After taking a perfect game into the seventh inning of his last outing, the Japanese star leads every MLB starting pitcher with a 0.46 WHIP, having allowed just four hits and two walks in 13 innings. Ohtani ranks eighth with 12.46 strikeouts per nine innings.

Playing in four games as a DH, Ohtani has 19 plate appearances. Since getting one hit in five at-bats on Opening Day, Ohtani has recorded a home run in each of his last three games in Los Angeles’ lineup. If he had enough at-bats to qualify, Ohtani would rank second in the AL with both a .389 batting average and a 1.310 OPS.

Ruth and Ohtani are the only two players in history to win a game as a pitcher and hit a first-inning home run within the next two days. Ohtani is one of three players to ever have a 10-strikeout performance and homer in three straight games in the same season.

Ohtani has been so impressive that at least one online sportsbook has made him the favorite to win the 2018 American League MVP award.

BetDSI now gives Ohtani +150 betting odds to be named the AL’s top player at season’s end. That puts him ahead of Angels’ teammate Mike Trout (+200), who’s won the award twice and finished second in the voting two other times since 2012. Reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve (+500), Didi Gregorius (+1000) and Carlos Correa (+1500) are among the early favorites.

It’s a big leap in a short amount of time for Ohtani, considering he had 100/1 MVP odds when the season began. That’s because the rookie’s first introduction to American baseball went about as poorly as anyone possibly could've imagined.

Ohtani recorded just four hits—all singles—in 32 spring training at-bats, posting an abysmal .347 OPS. In 2.2 innings as a pitcher, he surrendered nine hits and eight earned runs. There was even speculation that Ohtani, thought to be worthy of a $200 million contract in the winter, might start the season in the minor leagues.

L.A. is off to their best start in 21 years, going 8-3 while tying the defending champion Houston Astros for the AL’s best run differential. The Angels have won five of the six games that Ohtani has played with their only loss coming in extra innings.

Ohtani obviously won’t keep these numbers up all season long. He’ll undoubtedly have some bad nights on the mound, and his batting average probably won’t hover near .400 for much longer.

But the first-year player doesn’t need to stay this hot in order to remain the MVP favorite.

It’s clear that Ohtani won’t be the bust that some thought he might be in spring training. It’s also fair to say he’s not Babe Ruth, either.

Performing anywhere close to this current level in both aspects of the game, however, could make him the league’s most valuable star.

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels, pictured pitching in the first inning of a game against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium on April 8, 2018 in Anaheim, California, is the favorite to win the 2018 AL MVP award. Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images